SLOVAKIA OPPOSES PALESTINIAN RESOLUTION

UNCLAS BRATISLAVA 000438 SIPDIS SENSITIVE E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL KPAL LO UNGA SUBJECT: SLOVAKIA OPPOSES PALESTINIAN RESOLUTION REF: STATE 92528 SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED - PROTECT ACCORDINGLY ON APRIL 30, POLOFF DELIVERED REFTEL POINTS TO OKSANA TOMOVA, DIRECTOR OF THE UN SECTION AT THE SLOVAK MFA. TOMOVA STATED THAT THE SLOVAK REPUBLIC IS OPPOSED TO BRINGING THE PALESTINIAN RESOLUTION TO A VOTE IN THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY. NOT WITHSTANDING THE SIMILAR POSITIONS OF RUSSIA AND LATIN AMERICAN NATIONS, SHE BELIEVED THAT THE OBSERVER MISSION OF PALESTINE WOULD BE SUCCESSFUL IN INTRODUCING THIS RESOLUTION BECAUSE OF THE STRONG BACKING FROM ARAB AND MUSLIM NATIONS. THE EU HAS NOT REACHED A CONSENSUS ON THIS ISSUE. THE PALESTINIAN DELEGATION WILL LIKELY SUBMIT A NEW DRAFT OF THE RESOLUTION NEXT WEEK, BUT IT HAS YET TO BE RELEASED. WEISER NNNN